Dive Brief:
- Albuquerque School Board votes 4-3 to withold $1.4 million it owes the state for the PARCC exams.
- The decision was made last week, and board members did not discuss the vote.
- Parents, teachers and other audience members who were at the meeting voiced opposition to the exam and the fact that the state mandates it be tied to teacher evaluations.
Dive Insight:
On Friday Public Education Secretary Hanna Skandera spoke with the Associated Press and voiced her confusion about the vote. Skandera said districts have bills to pay and they can't just elect to skirt financial responsibilities.
While students opting out of exams has become commonplace this year, this would be the first example of a district essentially "opting out" of standardized testing payment, and in turn the system supporting high-stakes testing.